Garden Cameos: Welcome spring with hellebores

A cheerful addition to any winter garden is the hellebore, also known as Lenten rose, since it blooms during late winter-early spring.

Photo provided

By Betty MontgomeryFor the Herald-Journal

Published: Sunday, March 17, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 15, 2013 at 11:22 a.m.

A cheerful addition to any winter garden is the hellebore, also known as Lenten rose, since it blooms during late winter-early spring. They are striking, they bloom over a long time and if they are planted in a place they like, they are long-lived. Hellebores come in an array of colors that brighten up any spot in the winter garden.

I was given my first hellebores by a friend, Kate Dargan, who had them planted around a bird bath outside her dining room window. She was digging up some seedlings that had sprouted when I happened by. She shared some of the babies with me, and within two years these tiny seedlings had become mature plants. Since that time, I have grown to love hellebores and have expanded my collection to other colors as well as double ones that have come onto the market in recent years.

Hellebores come in a variety of colors, including white, pink, chartreuse, blue-gray and deep, dark purple. There are some varieties that are spotted and others that are variegated. They have some that open up light green and turn to pinkish green as they age. The blooms last for a long time, sometimes up to seven to eight weeks.

The plants do not get very tall, making them great for a year-round ground cover. The leaves are lobed or serrated, which adds a distinctive texture to the landscape. Hellebores grow to about 12 inches tall and when flowering, they can get to about 18 inches.

As the years go by, the clusters get larger and larger, producing an abundance of flowers within each cluster.

Hellebores have become very popular in recent years, and much has been done to develop new varieties. Some of the newer hellebores are exquisite and can be expensive.

If you let these new plants go to seed, the new blooms will not be the same as the one you purchased if other plants are within 15 or 20 feet. The seeds will be crossed with other varieties and the new plant will be different, just as children from the same parents are different. But, who knows, you might have a new flower that is more beautiful than the one you bought.

Because I live where deer roam the woods, I am always thrilled to find a plant the deer will not devour, such as the hellebore. Voles are also not interested in these plants, which makes it doubly delightful.

Hellebores are easy to grow. Add some organic material to make sure they have good soil that is well drained. They enjoy a little moisture, but they do not like wet feet.

They like some shade where the summers are hot, and in higher elevations they will take a little more sun.

Some of mine are under tall pines and others are under a white oak tree, meaning they get winter sun and summer shade. Both seem quite happy. I have one group planted on a hillside with a path below allowing me to look up at them. I have decided that is a great way to admire the bloom, since they often turn downward.

These exquisite plants are available at your local garden centers. They can also be purchased at specialty mail-order nurseries if you are looking for the more unusual varieties.

Now is the time to admire these jewels. Look around during this time of Lent and you might see some of these wonderful plants blooming now. Once you plant a few, you might get hooked, just as I did.

<p>A cheerful addition to any winter garden is the hellebore, also known as Lenten rose, since it blooms during late winter-early spring. They are striking, they bloom over a long time and if they are planted in a place they like, they are long-lived. Hellebores come in an array of colors that brighten up any spot in the winter garden.</p><p>I was given my first hellebores by a friend, Kate Dargan, who had them planted around a bird bath outside her dining room window. She was digging up some seedlings that had sprouted when I happened by. She shared some of the babies with me, and within two years these tiny seedlings had become mature plants. Since that time, I have grown to love hellebores and have expanded my collection to other colors as well as double ones that have come onto the market in recent years.</p><p>Hellebores come in a variety of colors, including white, pink, chartreuse, blue-gray and deep, dark purple. There are some varieties that are spotted and others that are variegated. They have some that open up light green and turn to pinkish green as they age. The blooms last for a long time, sometimes up to seven to eight weeks.</p><p>The plants do not get very tall, making them great for a year-round ground cover. The leaves are lobed or serrated, which adds a distinctive texture to the landscape. Hellebores grow to about 12 inches tall and when flowering, they can get to about 18 inches.</p><p>As the years go by, the clusters get larger and larger, producing an abundance of flowers within each cluster.</p><p>Hellebores have become very popular in recent years, and much has been done to develop new varieties. Some of the newer hellebores are exquisite and can be expensive.</p><p>If you let these new plants go to seed, the new blooms will not be the same as the one you purchased if other plants are within 15 or 20 feet. The seeds will be crossed with other varieties and the new plant will be different, just as children from the same parents are different. But, who knows, you might have a new flower that is more beautiful than the one you bought.</p><p>Because I live where deer roam the woods, I am always thrilled to find a plant the deer will not devour, such as the hellebore. Voles are also not interested in these plants, which makes it doubly delightful.</p><p>Hellebores are easy to grow. Add some organic material to make sure they have good soil that is well drained. They enjoy a little moisture, but they do not like wet feet.</p><p>They like some shade where the summers are hot, and in higher elevations they will take a little more sun.</p><p>Some of mine are under tall pines and others are under a white oak tree, meaning they get winter sun and summer shade. Both seem quite happy. I have one group planted on a hillside with a path below allowing me to look up at them. I have decided that is a great way to admire the bloom, since they often turn downward.</p><p>These exquisite plants are available at your local garden centers. They can also be purchased at specialty mail-order nurseries if you are looking for the more unusual varieties.</p><p>Now is the time to admire these jewels. Look around during this time of Lent and you might see some of these wonderful plants blooming now. Once you plant a few, you might get hooked, just as I did.</p>